A new nationwide initiative aims to provide eye screening for 10 lakh low-income individuals and conduct one lakh cataract surgeries across Bangladesh over the next two years, in a joint effort by the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and Orbis International.
The campaign, titled Comprehensive Cataract Services in Bangladesh, was officially launched on Wednesday at the PKSF headquarters in Dhaka.
It seeks to address preventable blindness, which continues to impact hundreds of thousands of economically disadvantaged people in the country.
Presiding over the launch ceremony, PKSF Chairman Zakir Ahmed Khan highlighted the foundation’s nationwide network of partner organisations that deliver essential services to underserved communities.
He expressed confidence that the new cataract initiative would significantly contribute to poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
Health Secretary Md Saidur Rahman attended as chief guest and noted that the loss of vision often leads to loss of livelihoods.
“Restoring sight through cataract surgery not only transforms lives but boosts national productivity and supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.
Also speaking at the event were Director General of the Directorate General of Health Services Prof Dr Md Abu Jafar and Christie Hubbard, Director of Foundations and Institutional Resource Development at Orbis International. PKSF Managing Director Md Fazlul Kader and Deputy Managing Director Muhammad Hasan Khaled also addressed the audience.
Orbis Country Director Dr Munir Ahmed presented the project outline, citing data that nearly 5,50,000 people aged 30 and above are currently blind in Bangladesh — with around 70 percent of those cases attributed to cataracts, a condition that is easily treatable through surgery. Many of those affected fall within the working-age population, negatively impacting overall productivity.
Under the initiative, PKSF and Orbis aim to conduct over 5,000 outreach camps to screen one million individuals. More than 1,200 healthcare workers will be trained in primary eye care and referral services through 25 Orbis-affiliated eye hospitals.
In addition, 200 government-run Community Eye Centres and more than 100 vision centres operated by Orbis partner hospitals across 50 districts will serve as referral and follow-up hubs. The surgeries will be carried out by Orbis partner hospitals after screening and selecting eligible cataract patients.
Kristie Hubbard praised PKSF’s innovative leadership and its commitment to inclusive health care, noting Orbis’s four decades of work in restoring vision in Bangladesh. She emphasised that cataract remains the leading cause of blindness in the country, despite being one of the most easily curable conditions.
Fazlul Kader added that the initiative aligns with PKSF’s strategic focus on decent employment, risk reduction, and capacity building, and builds on its long-standing efforts since 2012 to promote preventive and primary healthcare in rural areas.
Officials said the joint venture not only promises to restore sight to hundreds of thousands but also aims to uplift livelihoods, reduce poverty, and expand access to essential health services in remote communities.
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